Process of preserving meat.



OTTO LUIDWIG AI-IRENS, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF PRESERVING MEAT.

nooaoos.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Application filed May 2, 1911. Serial No. 624,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro LUDWIG AHRENs, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Vandsbekerstieg 4:7, Hamburg, 24:, Germany, have invented acertain new and useful Process of Preserving Meat, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for preserving raw meat by treatingit with hot fat. in existing processes of this nature the meat is placedin the hot fat and allowed to remain in it until the fat has become coldand set. B this means a thick coating of congealed fat is formed on themeat, by which the meat is intended to be enveloped air-tight andpreserved. A process of that kind, however, is not suitable forpractical use. Apart from the fact that the process is much tooexpensive because it requires large quantities of fat, it is also quiteunreliable because the coating of congealed fat enveloping the meat isbrittle, very soon cracks and breaks ofi, so that thepreserving actionis destroyed.

Now according to the present invention the meat is dipped into fatheated to about 200 (1., and is then taken out. By this dipping into thehot fat a part of the water contained in the outer layer of the meat isexpelled, and when the meat is taken out of the hot fat the expelledwater runs off together with the fat from the surface of the meat.

Since the water contained in the fibrous layers of the meat is held verytenaciously, only a small portion of the water contained in the outerlayer of the meat will be expelled by one dipping of the meat into thehot fat. The meat must therefore be repeatedly dipped, and applicant hasdiscovered that the water contained in the outer layer of the meat canbe completely expelled by dipping the meat six, eight or twelve times oroftener, according to the size of the pieces of meat, into fat heated toabout 200 O, and allowing the expelled water to run off together withthe fat before each dipping. By this means raw meat is produced havingan outer layer of a thickness of about 3 to 6 mm. which is sterilizedand completely free from water and which will protect the meat fromgoing bad for a long time, especially when it is stored in a covering ofwater-tight material.

Meat which is intended for provisioning ships or for similar purposes ispreferably subjected to a supplementary treatment consisting in placingthe meat treated as above described into a vessel provided with twotubular openings. The vessel is then filled with fat heated to about 150C. and the cover is inclosed air-tight. The hot fat is then completelydriven out of the vessel through one tubular opening by means ofcarbonic acid or other neutral gas introduced under pressure through theother tubular opening, and the tubular openings are then closedair-tight. The meat so treated in this vessel can be kept in the latterfor an unlimited period without going bad or losing the character of rawmeat. Since the meat is completely out off from the air in thesterilized interior of the vessel, it can be stored in any place even inmoist air and it will not be affected by climatic conditions.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A process for preserving raw meat whichcomprises dipping the meat repeatedly into fat heated to about 200 C.and allowing the expelled water to run off together with the fat eachtime the meat is taken out of the hot fat, until the water contained inthe outer layer of the meat has been completely expelled.

2. A process for preserving raw meat which comprises dipping the meatrepeatedly into fat heated to about 200 C. and allowing the expelledwater to run OH together with the fat each time the meat is taken out ofthe hot fat, until the water contained in the outer layer of the meathas been completely expelled, placing the meat into a vessel filled withhot fat, closing the vessel air tight, and driving out the hot fat by aneutral gas.

Signed by me at Hamburg Germany this twelfth day of April 1911.

OTTO LUDWIG AHRENS.

Witnesses:

AUGUST WENK, ERNEST H. L. MUMMENHOFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of ZPatents, Washington, D. G.

